Casino carpeting is pretty ugly, but the hideous floor covering at Portland International Airport gives it a run for its money. So lovably awful is PDX's carpet that it's spawned an Instagram account with nearly 20,000 followers re-gramming the "outdated, unfashionable, and absolutely charming" surface; it has its own Facebook page; it has its own Wikipedia entry.

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And it's spawned a cottage industry. Website PDX Carpet sells T-shirts, pillows, posters and tote bags emblazoned with a facsimile of the pattern. Made in Oregon sells PDX-carpet-looking socks, keychains, hats, mugs and even infant onesies. Outdoor gear manufacturer Keen sells their Yogui slip-on footware in just one color—"PDX Carpet." Belle Helmets lets you protect your noggin, and Namu Designs lets you protect your phone, with PDX carpet style.

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Not to mention you can buy pieces of the actual carpet itself.

That's because it dates back to 1987, and it's now in the process of being replaced. (The changeover should be complete by Thanksgiving of this year.) "We understand," Port of Portland spokeswoman Annie Linstrom told Portland Monthly, "that people have an emotional connection to the carpet." And while the new pattern looks similar (see below) to the old, it isn't quite the same.

As for the design of the original carpet itself,

Designed by SRG Architects in 1987, the iconic carpet was a big change for the Port of Portland.

…SRG principal John Schleuning (who helped design the carpet) recalls visiting at least five different airports before buckling down to design the PDX carpet.

…Earth tones (think beige and oatmeal) were standard for airport carpets in the 80s, Schleuning says. Indeed, he says one airport chose its dull carpet color to blend in with fallen cigarette butts.

The SRG team wanted the carpet to be northwest to the core, so they settled on blues and greens early on in the design phase. The final pattern corresponded to Portland's intersecting North-South runways, as seen from the control tower.

And here's the incoming stuff:

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The new design is based on organic and man-made shapes found around the airport, referencing flight, nature and structures at PDX.

"The Port hopes that travelers will grow to appreciate elements of the new carpet design over time, just as much as the old," says Linstrom.

We're not sure that's gonna happen.